


The Hellfire Club

by Gerec



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mob, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Angry Erik, Betrayal, Bondage, Dubious Consent, Exhibitionism, Implied Underage, Infidelity, M/M, Mob Moll Charles, Revenge, Rough Sex, Shaw is a Mob Boss, Verbal Humiliation, Voyeurism, references to violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-08
Updated: 2013-01-22
Packaged: 2017-11-24 04:28:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/630409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gerec/pseuds/Gerec
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Erik Lehnsherr is after Sebastian Shaw, the man who murdered his parents. By happy coincidence he stumbles on an attack against Shaw's lover and saves the man's life, securing a position with the Hellfire Club. He's right where he needs to be to exact his revenge...</p><p>...if he doesn't let Charles Xavier get in his way.</p><p>1/22 - Addition of New Alternate Ending</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Rescue

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my contribution to the mob boss/his lover/his right hand man trope! This little idea sprang into my head fully formed and I had to get it written down.

He’s dragged inside without another word, the muscled bodyguard hauling him up the stairs and into one of the Hellfire Club’s decadent private suites. Erik finds himself shoved roughly towards the bathroom and a garment bag pulled from the closet is tossed on the bed. 

“What am I doing here?” He’s still reeling from the events outside; his heart racing, the bleeding cut on his forehead making him a little lightheaded.

The man gives him an indecipherable look before lighting a cigar and taking a puff. “Boss wants to meet you. So go wash the blood off fast and put the suit on.”

He does as requested, heading into the bathroom to take off his shirt and scrub his face and hands, giving himself a few moments to think. It hadn’t been his intention tonight, to risk his life for Shaw’s young boy toy but it might just be the ‘in’ to Hellfire he’s been looking for. Now he just needs to play it right and secure himself a place in Shaw’s organization.

Erik opens the door and steps out, unzipping the bag and pulling the dark grey suit off the hanger. “What does he want with me?”

Gruff bodyguard shrugs and throws him a first aid kit, giving him a feral smile in the process. “Says you got potential, boy.”

“Is he going to kill me?” Erik slaps a bandage over the cut then pulls on the shirt and pants, buttoning the expensive suit jacket and straightening his tie. “And how did you know what size suit I wear?”

He gets a snort and what sounds like an amused chuckle. “If he was gonna kill you, you’d be dead.” The man turns and opens the door, walking out and not even bothering to check and see if Erik follows. “Charles told me your size. Kid’s got a good eye.”

They head down a different flight of stairs this time and wind their way along a bunch of non-descript corridors before they’re back into the Club proper. Erik spots him immediately, sitting in a private booth in the back, surrounded on all sides by his men.

“Logan! There you are,” the crisp, polished accent pulls his attention from Shaw to the brunet at his side, looking gorgeous and unflappable in his navy striped suit. “And you brought our new friend.”

Erik – Max Eisenhardt – has been waiting for this moment for years; has dreamed and plotted, bribed and killed for a chance to face his parents’ murderer. If Shaw was alone right now, or if he thought for a moment he could pull off a clean shot he wouldn’t even hesitate to plug a hole in the smug bastard’s face. Instead, he finds himself dangerously distracted by blue eyes and red lips and the remembered feel of the warm body he touched briefly on the sidewalk outside.

Shaw gives him a smile that is wide and full of good humor. “Tell us your name my dear boy!”

“Erik Lehnsherr.”

“Erik,” Shaw gets up and walks towards him, grasping his shoulder in a friendly manner that has him barely holding back from ripping the arm off. “Do you know who I am, Erik?”

“Yes, Mr. Shaw.” He smiles and swallows the bile in the back of his throat.

“Good, good,” Shaw pats him on the back again and then turns to speak to his lover. “What do you think we should do for Erik here, Charles? You should decide; he did save you from that degenerate Cain Marko.”

The look that Charles gives him is ice cold and discerning; it makes him feel naked and vulnerable, as though the man is rifling through his mind and reading all of his deepest, darkest secrets. It’s markedly different from what he saw in the moments leading up to the ambush – Charles’ eyes wide with fear at Cain’s sudden approach and then warm with gratitude and relief when he looked at Erik for the first time. 

“Thank you for saving my life Mr. Lehnsherr,” he watches as Charles walks over and slides next to Shaw, the older man wrapping his arm around his shoulders and tugging him close. “Tell us what you want and we’ll do our best to grant your wish.”

He pretends to think for a moment before seizing the opportunity laid out in front of him. “I could use a job.” 

Charles tilts his head slightly to the side, his gaze never leaving Erik’s. “Sebastian. Can you give him a job, darling?” He turns to face Shaw and pulls the man into a lingering kiss. “It would make me happy if you could help Mr. Lehnsherr out.”

“Of course pet, anything you want.” Shaw turns his attention to Erik and points to one of the men standing to his right. “Azazel is responsible for our logistics business. You can start with him and we’ll see how well you fit in.”

“Thank you.”

And then he’s forgotten, the two men making their way back to the booth, Shaw pouring champagne for his lover and lavishing the younger man with obvious affection.

Erik heads over to the bar and takes a seat, congratulating himself on successfully infiltrating Hellfire while simultaneously berating himself for being distracted by Shaw’s pretty young thing. 

A tall, imposing man with dark hair and a long, jagged scar on his face joins him, offering his hand to Erik. 

“Azazel.”

“Erik.”

The other man – his new boss - leans over the bar and grabs a bottle of expensive vodka, pouring two shots and then handing one to Erik. He can feel eyes watching him intently, even as he can’t stop staring at Shaw and the young man pressed intimately against him.

Azazel shakes his head and pours him another drink. “He’s dangerous, comrade. I advise you to be very careful.”

Erik can’t hide the sneer on his face when he answers, “I know perfectly well how dangerous Sebastian Shaw can be.”

“Not him.” The other man claps him on the back and then slips away without another word.


	2. Affair

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please see notes at the end for potential trigger warnings!

It takes Erik four weeks of working with Azazel in ‘logistics’, guarding Hellfire’s drug shipments and weapons deliveries before he’s given a raise and a pat on the back by Sebastian Shaw and officially welcomed into the inner circle. 

It takes only two weeks before he’s fucking Charles Xavier.

And there’s no doubt in his mind that his increased responsibilities and unfettered access to Shaw and his lieutenants are due to the behind the scenes maneuvering by the man’s young lover.

\---

The first time it happens, Erik is nursing a beer at the Club’s swanky bar, exchanging meaningless pleasantries with the bartender. He looks up to see Charles watching him from Shaw’s private booth, alone and taking languid sips from a diamond and crystal martini glass. Though the man appears completely bored, his eyes are cold and sharp and unmistakeably tracking Erik’s every move.

“Listen, man. I know it’s tempting because fuck, _look_ at him! But I’m telling you, don’t do it.”

He glances over at Darwin who is mixing another martini as he speaks, wondering just how badly he’s hiding his interest if the _bartender_ can see through his carefully cultivated detachment.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” Darwin pushes the martini his way and sighs. “You take up with Charles and you’re going to regret it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

Acknowledging the warning is as good as admitting that the other man is right. That he dreams every night of putting a bullet in Shaw’s head and then bending his toy over and fucking him on Shaw’s bed. “I didn’t order a martini.”

“No, Erik. I ordered it for you.” 

Charles slips into the seat next to him, setting his own glass next to the matching one in front of Erik. He’s wearing a light blue button up today, collar open to reveal tantalizing bits of creamy smooth skin. There’s an entitled, effortlessly graceful air about him that reminds Erik of old money and an expensive education, a life lived in luxury and comfort that is a marked contrast from the learned politeness of a thug like Shaw. 

Not for the first time Erik wonders, what a man like Xavier is doing being arm candy to a mobster.

And not for the first time Erik wonders, what it would feel like to fuck a man like Xavier, make him moan and writhe and beg for his cock with that perfect, pretty mouth panting his name.

“Erik,” the voice is soft and seductive; the hand on his arm warm and solid. “Come take a walk with me.”

___

They fuck on Charles’ bed, in his lavish suite next to Shaw’s, in front of a floor length mirror trimmed in gold. His hands grip the soft, meaty flesh of a perfectly toned ass and he grunts with every hard thrust upwards into blistering heat. Charles slams himself up and down on Erik’s cock, head thrown back in ecstasy, riding the other man to completion with a wild abandon that is utterly breathtaking. 

When they’re both finished, and Erik is boneless and sated, Charles pulls off gingerly and climbs from the bed. He stands in front of the mirror and traces the trail of white dripping down his thighs, then licks his fingers and smiles at his own reflection.

Erik pushes him forward, a large hand on the back of a slim neck and fucks him again until he shoots his release all over the mirrored surface.

Charles laughs.

\---

Erik knows he’s becoming dangerously obsessed.

And it’s no longer solely with thoughts of revenge – of tearing Sebastian Shaw limb from limb for shooting his parents in cold blood during a robbery gone wrong.

He still wants it though, craves it all the way to his bones whenever he catches sight of Shaw; getting out of his limo, in meetings with his men, touching Charles...

Shaw is always touching his Charles.

And he knows he’s fucked the moment his mind processes the thought... _his_ Charles. 

He belongs to Erik.

And Erik is going to take Charles from Shaw before he kills him.

___

They fuck almost every day, Charles pulling him into his bedroom whenever Shaw is ‘busy’ or ‘out’ or ‘just trust me Erik’. It’s like an addiction, he realizes – this need to have Xavier, to own him and fuck him and break him into pieces as he writhes and pants and comes with Erik’s name spilling from blood red lips.

He wonders how Shaw could be so _oblivious_ ; to not know that he’s fucking Charles behind his back. Erik is discreet yes; the model employee and new trusted right hand but how could he not _know_? The way Charles looks at Erik – eyes hungry and predatory and sometimes full of something that’s not quite love and possibly hate – is obvious to the others around them.

Logan shakes his head at him and smirks.

Azazel frowns and his lips are pressed in a tight line whenever Charles and Erik are in the same room.

Janos, the Spaniard with the cocky grin hands him a hundred year old scotch and whispers, “It’s been good knowing you Lehnsherr.”

But Sebastian Shaw just smiles at Erik and pats him on the back. Sends him on Hellfire’s most dangerous and important assignments and calls him, “Son.”

And Erik continues to fuck his pretty toy every day, always in Charles’ room, always in front of the mirror.

Erik laughs.

\---

As far as Erik can tell, Shaw’s feelings for Charles are genuine.

In public, he is affectionate and warm, his touch gentle and tone full of adoration and respect. He asks for Charles’ opinions, rests his hand on the small of Charles’ back when they walk and kisses Charles with no thought to looking weak in front of his own men.

And for all that Charles spends his days fucking Erik, he never pulls away from Shaw’s touch, leaning into the man’s kisses and holding the man’s hand during meals.

Charles is full of contradictions – a man unimpressed by wealth but content to be a mobster’s bit on the side; an icy facade of brilliance and etiquette hiding a passionate core full of lust and fire.

Erik wants all of Charles Xavier and he’ll do anything it takes to get him. 

So Shaw gets to live just a little bit longer, until Erik can find a way to sway Charles to his side.

\---

Things spiral dangerously close to disaster when Erik walks by Shaw’s office one day and sees the door slightly ajar, the sounds of sex filtering out into the hallway.

Charles is naked and on his knees, his arms bound tightly behind him with what looks like red silk ropes. Shaw is standing in front of him, completely clothed except for his cock and thrusting brutally hard and fast into Charles’ mouth. 

“Do you like this, pet?” Shaw is gripping his hair and practically hauling him back and forth as the man chokes and whines. “You love taking my cock in your mouth don’t you, you dirty little slut?”

Erik’s frozen in his spot by the door, his blood burning and eyes almost blinded with rage at the sight of Charles gagging on Shaw, tears streaming down his cheeks. He watches as Charles gets pushed to the ground, ass in the air as Shaw shoves his cock all the way in with one long, rough stroke. He wails and Shaw fucks him so hard and fast that Charles’ whole body slides forward with each snap of his hips.

A hand grips his arm like a vice and drags him down the hallway, flinging him inside an empty room before Erik can make a sound.

“Christ Lehnsherr, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Did you see that? Did you _see_ what Shaw was doing to Charles?” He’s fuming and tense and on the knife’s edge of violence.

Logan rubs his face and glares at him. “Not my business how Charles and Shaw fuck. I’m his bodyguard not his mother.”

Erik snarls and advances on the other man. “You’re supposed to protect him! How can you...let Shaw abuse him like that?”

“You think...,” Logan looks at him for a long moment and then bursts into laughter. “Fuck Lehnsherr you’re in love with him aren’t you, you poor fuck.” He wanders over to the bar and pours himself a drink. “Charles can take care of himself.”

“Is Shaw paying you to look the other way? Threatening you? I know you like Charles I don’t understand how...”

“You think you’re the first one he’s fucked Lehnsherr?” Logan pulls out a cigar and lights it, leaning against a wall and taking a long puff. He looks...almost like he feels sorry for Erik. “You think you’re the first to fall for those baby blues and that posh accent and all that fuckin' attitude? You’re an idiot.”

He’s completely shocked by Logan’s words because...Charles?

“LeBeau thought he was so smart, ‘seducing’ Charles and then kidnapping him to try and get a big payout from Shaw. Wanna know what happened to him? Shaw gutted him in the middle of the Club and let him bleed out for hours in front of his VIPs.”

“What...who...”

“Drake. Drake was even worse the poor son of a bitch. He tried to save Charles from this 'terrible' life; tried to shoot Shaw in the back so they could run away together.”

Erik stares at the crystal barware and tries to comprehend exactly what Logan’s trying to tell him. “And?”

Logan grins at him but the expression is hard and threatening and filled with warning. “Charles put a bullet in his head.”

\---

For once they're not in Charles’ room and not fucking, sitting across from one another in the back of Shaw’s limo, on the way to a party thrown by Frost Industries.

“Why Shaw?”

“Because I love him.”

“Then why me?”

The smile he gets is sharp enough to cut. “You’ve...got potential, my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The dub-con is for rough sex that Erik witnesses between Charles and Shaw. Violence is mentioned but not explicit.


	3. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was more plot than I expected! Chapter 4 should be going up tomorrow and please do check the tags as I'm adding to them with every update!

_He slides in, slick and smooth and his whole body thrums with each long, measured thrust. He doesn’t know what he likes more; the sight of his cock disappearing inch by agonizing inch or Charles’ reflection in the mirror, his back arched, eyes closed in ecstasy as Erik fucks him on his hands and knees._

_He grabs a fistful of hair and pulls, yanking Charles to a seated position with his legs spread wide around Erik, Erik’s cock so deep that it makes him keen. One arm, tight and possessive holds the younger man still; the other pumps his leaking cock until Charles is breathless and shaking in his arms._

_“Beg me,” he whispers and licks the curve of a pale throat._

_“Please...oh, please Erik.” He moans and his eyes are dark with lust._

_“You want me.” It’s not a question at all._

_“Yes! Ugh...I want you!”_

_“Come for me.”_

_He does._

___

 

Erik watches Charles from across the room, greeting the other party goers with perfect grace and charm. The Frost Industries event is black-tie and never has Charles looked more at ease and disingenuous than he does now, impeccable in a tuxedo, shaking hands and sharing jokes with the city elite.

If he had ever wondered before, why Sebastian Shaw was so enamored with Charles Xavier, his question would have been answered here. Charles knows everyone and everyone knows Charles; the Xavier name as revered and reviled as Frost’s with the corporate and ultra-wealthy. Charles gives Shaw a veneer of respectability and access to social circles he would never be privy to without old money connections. And Shaw...

...well he has no idea what Shaw has that could possibly appeal to someone like Charles.

Surprisingly, he gets some of his questions answered by Emma Frost.

The Frost Industries CEO is blonde and stunning, dressed in an all white ensemble that makes her sparkle like a diamond. She smiles at him, the expression ice cold and threatening.

She reminds him of Charles.

“Hello, Mr. Lehnsherr.”

He takes the hand that she offers, brushing it lightly with his lips. “Miss Frost. Lovely to meet you.”

She eyes him critically and then laughs, the sound only slightly warmer than her previous smile. “Oh, you’re perfect sugar. Handsome, charming and with that sexy dangerous edge; you’re exactly Charles’ type.”

“I’m not sure I know what you mean.”

Emma scoffs and rolls her eyes. “Don’t play dumb it doesn’t suit you. You haven’t taken your eyes off of him all night. And I’ve known Charles his whole life. I know when he’s...interested.”

He doesn’t acknowledge her comments; he has no reason to trust this woman who claims to know Charles so well. Nor does he believe her intentions are friendly in approaching him tonight.

“You and Charles are good friends?”

She takes a sip from her wine glass and sighs. “I knew him long before he took up with Shaw. Before Marko even.”

“Marko? Cain Marko?”

Emma laughs, “Cain? No, Erik. Cain Marko’s a useless thug who got what was coming to him. I was talking about his father Kurt.”

Erik knows she’s toying with him; that he’s interested in anything and everything related to Charles. He waits for her to share...and then probably to demand something from him in return. “And Kurt Marko was...?”

She looks at him and the smile she gives him this time is shades of amused and predatory. “Charles’ mother Sharon married Kurt a couple of years after his father Brian Xavier died.”

“So Kurt Marko is...was...Charles’ stepfather?”

“Not... _just_ his stepfather, sugar.”

He doesn’t want to think too much about what she’s implying. “And what happened to him?”

“Shaw did, of course.”

___

_He fucks him face to face this time, inhaling the soft moans and whines that fall from luscious, red lips. Charles is laying on the bed, wrists and ankles cuffed and spread-eagled, so beautiful and responsive to Erik’s touch. He buries his cock all the way to the hilt, then pulls out completely before slamming back in, jarring Charles’ whole body with each savage thrust._

_“Err...Erik...”_

_“Charles...”_

_Each sound he wrings from Charles’ lips makes his cock throb; every gasp and moan like a punch that leaves them both breathless and ruined._

_“Erik...fuck me...gah...open! Please...”_

_“Fuck, Charles...fuck! Want you...so much. Need you...”_

_He shifts and slides until Charles groans for him long and loud and then he hammers that same spot over and over again until Charles screams and clenches and shatters._

_Erik leans down and kisses him, hips still pistoning in and out as he chases his own release. He pulls away and looks into Charles’ eyes, so warm and open for once and whispers, “I lo...”_

_Charles surges forward and cuts him off with a rough kiss, clenching so hard around his cock that Erik whites out and comes._

___

He meets Raven Xavier on Charles’ birthday, the gorgeous, leggy blonde all but running across the length of the club and leaping into her brother's arms. He’s never seen Charles happy and unguarded; the smile for his sister so genuine and free it makes Erik’s heart ache. The two siblings huddle together on one of the couches whispering and laughing, oblivious to the outside world.

She approaches him later, alone at the bar; the festivities over and Charles headed upstairs with Shaw.

“You must be Erik.” She grabs a bottle from the bar and pours them each a scotch on the rocks.

He tips his glass slightly in her direction. “Erik Lehnsherr.”

Raven eyes him up and down, her expression wary but not hostile. She sighs and then gives him an impish grin. “Not bad, really. Better than some of the others he’s bagged.”

He arches an eyebrow at her. “So I hear. Does Charles make it a habit of taking lovers right under Shaw’s nose? Why doesn’t Shaw put a stop to it?”

She laughs and it’s not quite as mocking as he would have expected. “Oh Erik you’re precious. Nobody tells Charles what to do.”

“Not even Shaw?”

“Especially not Shaw.” She gives him a look he can’t quite understand and hesitates a bit before continuing on. “He thinks he loves Sebastian but he doesn’t; at least not anymore. He doesn’t even need him now...he’s just too stubborn to admit it.”

“So why don’t you two leave? I could help you.” He grips his glass and tries hard not to let his imagination run wild based on the few clues he’s picked up – that Shaw probably saved Charles from a rather unhealthy relationship with his stepfather, making the younger man feel indebted to him. That perhaps Charles stays with Shaw to ensure his sister’s continued safety...

“Leave?” Raven gives him a puzzled look. “Why would we leave? The Club is our life.”

“But you could leave all this behind...it’s a dangerous place. You and Charles, you need to be protected from Shaw.”

She tosses the rest of her drink back with one long swallow and leans over to kiss him on the cheek. “I like you Erik Lehnsherr, so let me set you straight. I don’t need any protection from Sebastian Shaw. And if my brother needs protecting...trust me when I say that having me and Logan around is more than enough to do the job.”

___

In the end it’s his feelings for Charles Xavier that does him in.


	4. Betrayal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please check the tag updates and notes below for potential triggers! I promise not to add any more chapters - 5 is definitely the last one!

Charles is pinned beneath him on the bed, his limbs loose and hair mussed from a blissful, shared release. He’s beautiful and wild and mysterious and brilliant and Erik knows he’ll never willingly let him go. With his cock still embedded inside the other man he pushes forward ever so slightly, causing Charles to arch his back and moan.

Erik cradles his face and kisses him softly. “Leave him.”

Charles’ eyes fly open and he stares up at Erik with a horrified expression. “Stop.”

“I love you,” he presses kisses along Charles’ neck and shoulders, returning to his lips for a lingering kiss. “Tell me you love me too.”

He gets a hard shove instead, Charles scrambling to free himself from Erik’s arms. “Oh god. Shut up!”

He watches, bewildered and hurt as Charles hops off the bed and starts to pull on his robe. “What...”

“Erik...you really shouldn’t have said those things.”

They both turn at the same time, a faint knocking sound drawing their eyes as the floor length mirror swings open. Sebastian Shaw is standing in the darkened doorway where the mirror used to be, smiling at them both from a hidden hallway that connects this bedroom to the one next door.

“Hello Charles. Erik.” He swings the ‘door’ closed behind him as he enters, but not before Erik sees that it’s actually a two way mirror with a clear view into Charles’ room. Shaw walks over to where Charles is standing at the foot of the bed and tugs the robe off, running his hands possessively down his back and resting on the curve of his ass. “Leave it off pet. You know how much I love seeing you like this, so filthy and debauched.”

“You’ve been watching me fuck him this whole time.” The blood burns like ice in his veins; the thought of Shaw plotting, using Charles to mess with Erik and laughing at him behind his back. 

He watches Shaw pull Charles up against him, mouth prying his lips open in a hungry kiss that the younger man reciprocates with a soft moan. A hand glides to the cleft between Charles’ cheeks and Shaw slips three fingers inside, watching for Erik’s reaction as Charles thrusts his hips forward wantonly.

“Yes Max, I have. You’ve given me quite the show.” And he laughs uproariously at the stunned look on Erik’s face. “Oh yes. Little Max Eisenhardt. We’ve known all along who you were, haven’t we Charles?”

There’s no answer from the other man; his face expressionless as a statue. It remains unchanged even as Shaw pulls a gun from his pocket and points it at Erik.

“Charles. Be a good boy and cuff him please?”

Erik does his best to remain calm, thinking of his options – distract Shaw by talking? Try and knock the gun away? He’s got to find a way to get out of this without hurting Charles or getting them both shot... 

The younger man leads him by the hand to sit on the bed, cuffing him to the bedpost without a word and Erik despairs and seethes over his own stupidity, for allowing himself to be distracted from the only goal he’s had since he was 14 years old.

Charles returns to Shaw’s side and the man throws an arm around his waist, whispering into his ear. “Do you want to give him a show pet? Do you want me to fuck you in front of him? Return the favor for all the times I’ve enjoyed watching him take you apart?”

“Shut up,” Erik clenches his teeth and spits the words at Shaw. “I’m not playing your sick games. Just shoot me and get it over with and leave Charles out of this.”

And that gets Charles to finally look him in the eye again, though his face is still unreadable. Shaw laughs again and pulls Charles down next to him at the foot of the bed. 

“You’ve disappointed me Max,” Shaw pats his hand on the rumpled sheets. “I expected a much better revenge plan from you for your parents’ deaths. You got yourself a place in the organization and close enough to kill me and what happened? You let your _feelings_ get in the way. What would your father say?”

“You murdered my father you bastard!” He lunges forward without thinking, the cuffs holding him back from tearing Shaw apart with his hands. “He was your _partner_ and you betrayed him and then you killed my mother!”

Shaw sighs, shaking his head as he runs his fingers through Charles’ hair. “You know what your problem is Max? You’re just like your father; disloyal and greedy.”

“You...you killed him, how dare you...”

“Disloyal. I taught Jakob Eisenhardt everything he knew about the business. Did he tell you that Max? I got him in on that last big heist because he wanted to ‘retire’; take you and your precious mother home to Germany.” Shaw walks over to the desk and sets his gun down before turning to look at him, the mask of geniality finally falling from his face. “And greedy. I _helped him_ , Max and your rat of a father tried to shoot me in the back and take my share too and run.”

Erik doesn’t – won’t believe Shaw’s lies. “My father wouldn’t do that! And you murdered my mother...she never did anything to you!”

“Poor deluded boy,” he walks over to the small bar and pours himself a drink. “Who do you think gave him the idea?”

He’s not going to listen to Shaw because Shaw is smart and ruthless and good at playing mind games. And it doesn’t matter how it happened – whether there’s even an inkling of truth to his claims – because Erik’s parents were _taken_ from him and he’s never going to let that go.

Shaw takes a sip of his scotch and then hands the glass to Charles who takes a long drink. “And you, ‘Erik Lehnsherr’. We had such high hopes for you, my boy. You saved Charles’ life and I reward you with a job and let you fuck him as much as you want and was that enough? No. No, you want _more_...greedy.”

“He’s not a toy for your amusement Shaw,” he spits before turning his attention to Charles. “I love you. Charles, I love you. Say something please.”

Shaw’s eyes harden at Erik’s declarations but his tone is still honey sweet. “Did you hear that Charles? Little Max _loves_ you. Isn’t that just perfect?”

Charles sighs and peers at Erik through his long lashes, sounding tired and resigned. “You shouldn’t love me, Erik. I’m no good for you.”

“What now, pet?” Shaw leans down and presses his lips to Charles’, tilting his chin up to deepen the kiss. “What do you suggest we do with Mr. Lehnsherr?”

Charles doesn’t answer, pulling away from Shaw and crossing the room to the desk, still naked and trailing some of Erik’s release down his thighs. He picks up the gun and turns towards them. “I’m afraid we don’t really have a choice.”

Erik’s chest tightens painfully and it takes everything in him not to show any emotion in front of Sebastian Shaw. “You don’t have to do this Charles. I can help you get out of here. Just shoot him and I swear I’ll get you and Raven away from Hellfire for good.”

“Sweet,” Shaw wanders over and stands next to Erik, just out of his reach. “You still think Charles is an innocent lamb don’t you? Tell him, pet. Who’s idea it was to let him catch us fucking in my office.”

Something flickers briefly across Charles’ face but he doesn’t answer and Shaw just continues on, “Did you like watching us for a change Erik? Did you know that Charles likes it rough? That he likes to be treated like a cheap whore in bed? I bet you did, didn’t you boy? You like to fuck him when he’s all tied up, gagging for it.”

“Charles...,” he tries to catch his lover’s eyes, desperate to get through to him. “Please...”

Charles looks over at Shaw and the man beams at him. “How long has it been since you’ve shot somebody, Charles? The last one was Drake wasn’t it? Nice clean shot in the head.”

“Yes,” Charles points the gun and his eyes are ice cold. “I’m so sorry, darling.”

He fires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Major character death in next chapter!


	5. Epilogue

I.

There’s a lot of blood.

It’s warm and wet, and there’s enough of it that he instinctively tries to wipe it away with his hands only to realize that he’s still cuffed to the bed.

“Charles...”

Shaw is half slumped across the bed and Erik kicks him, his body landing face up on the floor. There’s a clean bullet hole right between the eyes and a smug expression still plastered on the bastard’s frozen face. 

Charles grabs his robe from the bed and slips it on, tying the knot before tossing the gun casually on the couch. He ignores Erik and walks over to his pile of clothes, pulling the cell phone from his pants pocket and hitting the speed dial.

“Logan. My room. Now.”

He hangs up and throws the phone next to the gun then crouches next to Shaw and gently closes the dead man’s eyes. “Darling. I’m so sorry.”

“Charles,” he yanks on the cuffs to try and get the other man’s attention. “Charles let me up so we can get out of here quick before the others come.”

“Oh Erik, you still don’t know do you, love?” Charles grabs the key out of his desk drawer and uncuffs him from the bed. “I really thought you’d have figured it out by now.”

He tries to reach for Charles – to hold him, or to grab him so they can get away he doesn’t really know – but his lover pushes him back and scowls. “Stop, you’re going to get blood all over me too.”

The bedroom door opens and Logan stalks in with gun in hand. He takes a moment to look over the scene, Charles in his robe next to Shaw’s dead body, Erik still naked on the bed.

“You alright, Boss?”

“I’m fine Logan,” Charles heads over to the bar and pours two glasses of scotch. “I need you to handle this. Be discreet.”

“What do I tell the others?”

Charles frowns and takes a sip of his drink. “Tell them I gave Sebastian an early retirement.”

Logan sighs and then asks, “And everybody else?”

“Terrible business we’re in really. Yet another hit on Sebastian and this one actually got to him, poor thing. The Hellfire Club will certainly find out who did this and make them pay.”

“Sure, sure we’ll make it good.” He waves the gun in Erik’s direction and gives him a look that’s decidedly unfriendly. “You need me to handle him too?”

Charles laughs and hands Erik the other drink before grabbing the sheets off the bed and mopping the blood off his lover. “That won’t be necessary, my friend. Erik and I need to talk.”

“Alright, I’ll go get the cleaning crew then.” 

“Oh Logan,” Charles calls after him. “The funeral arrangements, have Raven handle them. She’ll know to make it special.”

The man grunts and walks out the room, closing the door quietly behind him. Erik stares...and stares at Charles and doesn’t know what to say to the man he’s only meeting now for the first time.

“You...you run Hellfire.”

“Yes.”

“But why? Why hide behind Shaw?”

Charles sighs and nudges him to take a drink from his glass. “It’s a long story and I’ll tell you another time. For now...there’s something I want you to know, Erik.”

He tenses and yanks his arm away from Charles’ grasp. “Are you going to kill me?”

Charles wraps his arms around him and kisses him, pulling back slightly so he can look into Erik’s eyes. “I love you.”

“And I’m supposed to believe a word that comes out of your mouth now?” he sneers. “Answer my question! Are you going to kill me?”

“Not anymore.”

“What?”

Charles sighs again and hops off the bed to grab a refill of his drink. “For a while...yes that was the plan.”

Erik glares at him and thinks about the gun still sitting on the couch. “But not now.”

“No.”

“What changed?”

“I love you.” Charles shrugs and sits next to Erik again on the bed. “And I had to choose. So I chose you.”

There’s silence for a few minutes as Erik tries to digest Charles’ words, wondering what else he doesn’t know about the man he’s in love with.

Whether the man he’s in love with exists at all.

“So what happens now?”

Charles smiles and kisses him again, seemingly unaffected by Erik’s lack of response to his affection. “Now we talk. How would you feel about a new job?”

\-----

II.

It takes Alex Summers an entire year, working undercover and calling in favors before he finally gets a face to face meeting with Erik Lehnsherr.

He’s nervous; the info he’s gathered from both Hellfire members and his own guys paint the same grim picture of Lehnsherr; a ruthless man with a violent temper, running the Hellfire Club with an iron fist. The man is reportedly hard as stone with no potential weaknesses to exploit except one – his lover Charles Xavier.

Looking at the two of them now, sitting side by side in their private booth, holding hands and sipping champagne he can see what they mean. Lehnsherr has the kind of face that’s naturally intimidating and the fierce scowl he wears would have made the rookie he used to be shake in his boots. But Alex is good – MacTaggert gave him this job for a reason – and he can read the body language well enough to know that Lehnsherr’s affections for Xavier aren’t just for show.

He takes a quick moment to absorb the details. Lehnsherr is tall and thin, projecting a dangerous air that’s been well earned since he took over from Sebastian Shaw five years ago. Xavier in contrast is shorter if well put together – he looks more like a lawyer or boring business man than a mob boss’ lover.

He'll be easy enough to handle.

They stop in front of the booth and the man – Logan – introduces him.

“Here’s your next meeting Erik.”

Lehnsherr looks pissed off at being interrupted, giving Logan a glare that the other man ignores with a grin. He turns his attention to Alex next and his eyes narrow dangerously. “You’re Gabe Alexander.”

He puts on his most charming smile and tries not to be intimidated. “Mr. Lehnsherr. Mr. Xavier.”

Lehnsherr’s eyes narrow even more but Xavier turns to him with his wide baby blues and a smile that’s warm and inviting. “Oh Erik, I like him. He’s so courteous.”

He catches Lehnsherr rolling his eyes before yanking his lover close and growling in his ear. “Careful Charles. If you like him too much I’ll have to take him out back and shoot him.”

Xavier just laughs and kisses Lehnsherr full on the lips. “Don’t worry, love. I don’t like anybody the way I like you.”

Lehnsherr snorts at that but his expression softens and he returns the kiss with enthusiasm. He turns to Alex again and waves at him impatiently. “Well? You got a meeting. What do you want?”

“I’m looking for more responsibilities in the organization, Sir.”

“Is that right?” Lehnsherr stares at him for a few moments, looking him up and down. “What makes you think I’d just give some punk off the streets more access to the business?”

Alex puts as much bravado as he can behind the response, hoping it doesn't get him a bullet in the head. “Give me a chance to prove myself, Sir. I swear you won’t regret it.”

“Erik,” Xavier gets up and walks over to Alex, looking him up and down with eyes that have lost all the warmth from just a few minutes ago. “You should give him a chance, love.” He smiles at his lover as he pats Alex on the back. “I think this one’s got potential.” 

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we have it! Thanks for reading my little mob au; I hope you liked it as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)
> 
> For those who are interested, here's a quick run down of the inner circle:
> 
> Charles Xavier - Inherited the business from his father Brian Xavier. The Hellfire Club is the illegal portion of his vast holdings. He made Kurt the face of Hellfire first, followed by Shaw and now Erik while he fronts the 'legitimate' Xavier empire.  
> Logan - Is Charles' personal bodyguard and has been since Charles was 10.  
> Raven Xavier - Is Charles' adopted sister and the Hellfire Club's top enforcer.  
> Azazel - Runs 'logistics'.  
> Janos - He runs the numbers.  
> Darwin - Is Hellfire's #2 enforcer.  
> Emma Frost - Is Charles closest business associate and Shaw's old flame :)


	6. Alternate Ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had a few different ideas for how this story could end and for some reason this one refused to leave my head even after I went another direction :) For those of you who might be interested in a darker ending...well here it is.
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: Non-con, Light BDSM
> 
> Starts mid way through chapter 4 and takes a decidely NC-17 turn...

Shaw takes a sip of his scotch and then hands the glass to Charles who takes a long drink. “And you, ‘Erik Lensherr’. We had such high hopes for you, my boy. You saved Charles’ life and I reward you with a job and let you fuck him as much as you want and was that enough? No. No, you want more...greedy.”

“He’s not a toy for your amusement Shaw,” he spits before turning his attention to Charles. “I love you. Charles, I love you. Say something please.”

Shaw’s eyes harden at Erik’s declarations but his tone is still honey sweet. “Did you hear that Charles? Little Max loves you. Isn’t that just perfect?”

Charles sighs and peers at Erik through his long lashes, sounding tired and resigned. “You shouldn’t love me, Erik. I’m no good for you.”

Eyes gleaming with anticipation, Shaw leans down and presses his lips to Charles’, tilting his chin to deepen the kiss. “Do you want to give him a present, Charles? Before we decide how to dispose of him?”

He doesn’t give the younger man any time to respond, roughly pushing Charles onto his back and straddling him, pinning him down by his wrists on the bed. 

“Sebastian, what are you...”

“I’m going to fuck you Charles,” Shaw chuckles, grinding his hips and making Charles’ breath hitch. “I’m going to make our Erik watch while I fuck his come right out of you. And if you’re very good, I’ll let him fuck you one last time too before I kill him.”

“You sick fuck! Get away from him!” Erik is straining so hard against the cuffs that he can feel the cuts on his wrists start to bleed. 

Charles’ eyes dart over to Erik, his lips pressed in a thin line before looking back up at Shaw. “Don’t do this to him Sebastian. Just...put him out of his misery.”

Something ugly and possessive crosses Shaw’s face, there and gone so quickly that Erik almost misses it, consumed as he is with his own rage. Shaw grips Charles’ face and leans in close, whispering just loud enough for Erik to hear, “I’ll make you a deal, pet. Give me what I want and I’ll make it easy and painless for him. Or if you’d rather not, then I’ll save my energy on finding more...interesting ways to deal with Lensherr.”

Charles glares at Shaw and doesn’t respond, and Erik is so relieved that he almost forgets what it means – that he’s sure to suffer a torturous and painful death at Shaw’s hands. He allows himself a moment of regret and sorrow for failing to avenge his parents’ deaths...and for not taking Charles away while he still had the chance.

“What do you say?” Shaw is trailing kisses all along Charles’ neck, nipping at his lips and sucking bruises in the soft, pale flesh. “How should we reward his _loyal_ service?”

He’s expecting anger or a refusal from Charles, for him to shove Shaw away and leave the room – leave Erik – without a backwards glance. What he doesn’t expect is for Charles to surge forward and meet Shaw’s lips in a passionate kiss, his whole body arching seductively as he gives in to the bastard’s demands.

Shaw’s smile is triumphant as he cradles Charles in his arms and cups his groin, ignoring Erik’s screams and curses. Charles thrusts into Shaw’s hand and moans wantonly as he lets the other man stroke his cock until it’s hard and leaking. 

“On your hands and knees, pet. Facing Lensherr.” Shaw smacks Charles on the ass as the younger man crawls forward, his face practically in Erik’s lap, following the instructions without comment. He looks at Erik with an unreadable expression that promptly dissolves into ecstasy as Shaw unzips his pants and then slides his cock into Charles with one long push. 

“Oh my boy, I do so love fucking Charles when he’s like this, still warm and wet and fucked open by another man.” Shaw drives his hips forward, shoving all the way in to the hilt causing Charles to arch his back and keen. He gives Erik a wink and a sly grin and then smacks Charles’ ass again and laughs. “Go on then. Suck his cock while I fuck you.”

“No! You bastard, don’t...”

His objections are interrupted by the warm mouth that engulfs him, Charles taking his limp cock and sucking it with relish, licking and teasing him and igniting the desperate flare of lust that Erik constantly carries for his lover. He tilts his head back and moans, before he remembers himself and bucks half heartedly to try and dislodge the other man. Charles just hums and holds onto Erik’s hips as Shaw slams into him from behind, shoving his mouth back and forth on Erik’s cock.

“You’re perfect pet,” Shaw sets a brutal pace, his hands prying Charles ass cheeks open, fingers no doubt leaving bruises in the creamy flesh. “Don’t come and don’t let him come either ‘til I tell you.”

And Erik is torn – part of him revolted by the sight of Shaw in front of him, pumping in and out of the man he loves, face rapturous as he drags whimpers and moans of pleasure from Charles’ lips. The other part of him wants this – craves it; desperate to be with Charles any way he can before Shaw inevitably kills him.

Shaw’s grunts and thrusts become increasingly erratic and harsh, before he finally spills inside Charles with a groan. He yanks the younger man up by the hair and strokes him while Erik watches.

“That was lovely,” Shaw slides his thumb over the tip, pulling a breathless gasp from his lover. “Isn’t he lovely Erik? It’s why you want him so much isn’t it, my boy? Charles is the perfect little cock slut.”

He glares at the man but doesn’t answer; he’s not going to let Shaw goad him for a reaction when things are well and truly beyond his control. 

“Fuck yourself on his cock, pet,” Shaw half lifts, half pushes Charles forward and remains plastered against his back as the younger man straddles Erik’s lap. It’s overwhelming, with Charles so close and yet untouchable; a man Erik wants more than revenge and hates for belonging to Shaw.

He closes his eyes as Charles sinks down onto his cock with a breathless moan, hips thrusting up to meet him as he’s engulfed in the searing heat. Erik is desperate to remain detached; he doesn’t want to give Shaw the satisfaction of losing himself to the man’s sick games. But Charles is all around him - his scent, his arms around his neck, hips grinding relentlessly up and down as he fucks himself on Erik’s cock and Erik finds himself completely undone.

It feels like forever or just a few minutes – Erik has no idea – before Shaw whispers in Charles’ ear, his hand still stroking in time with the other man’s movements up and down, “Now pet. Make him come for me.”

And Charles obeys immediately, crushing them together in a bruising kiss as he slams himself down and clenches tight, wrenching a shout from Erik as he comes.

“Sebastian,” Charles arches back and wraps his arms around Shaw’s neck, his whole body tense as he waits for permission to finish. “Please Sebastian. I need...ah...”

“You can come pet, as soon as Erik here opens his eyes.”

“Erik...” Charles’ breath hitches and he can hear the slick sound of Shaw’s hand jerking him off. “Oh god, please...”

The desperation in his lover’s voice gets him to do as requested, his eyes opening to see Shaw bite down hard on Charles’ neck just as the younger man shoots his release all over Erik’s chest. 

“Perfect,” Shaw kisses Charles and smiles, before wiping his sticky hand on Erik. “That was spectacular. I can probably be convinced to let him live a couple more days my dear, if you're so inclined.”

Charles doesn’t answer, sliding off Erik slowly and pulling away from Shaw. He crosses the room to the desk, still naked and trailing come from the two men down his thighs. He picks up the gun and turns towards them. “No Sebastian. Let’s just finish this.”

Erik’s chest tightens painfully and it takes everything in him not to show any emotion in front of Sebastian Shaw. “Charles...”

Charles looks over at Shaw and the man beams at him. “How long has it been since you’ve shot somebody, Charles? The last one was Drake wasn’t it? Nice clean shot in the head.”

“Yes,” Charles points the gun and his eyes are ice cold. “I’m so sorry, darling.”

He fires.  
___

There’s a lot of blood.

It’s warm and wet, and there’s enough of it that he instinctively tries to wipe it away with his hands only to realize that he’s still cuffed to the bed.

“Charles...”

Shaw is half slumped across the bed and Erik kicks him, his body landing face up on the floor. There’s a clean bullet hole right between the eyes and a smug expression still plastered on the bastard’s frozen face.

Charles throws the gun on the couch and grabs the key from the desk drawer, hurrying over to Erik and uncuffing him from the bed. He’s so relieved and elated – that they’re alive and Shaw is dead – that he immediately pulls Charles into his arms, heedless of his bleeding wrists and the stickiness still covering his chest.

His lover is shaking in his arms and Erik grabs the sheets off the bed and wraps them around the other man’s shoulders. He takes a deep breath to calm himself down and kisses the top of Charles’ head. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Charles tilts his head up and presses a light kiss on Erik’s lips. “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I’m just glad Shaw was too arrogant to think you would ever turn on him.”

Charles sighs and clutches the sheets tighter around him. “I wouldn’t have...for anyone else. I love you, Erik.”

He allows himself a moment to be happy, at finally hearing these words from Charles’ lips before his mind jumps to the urgent matter of their escape. “Charles. We need to get out of here before the others find out. Where’s Raven?”

“Erik,” Charles takes his hands and squeezes them lightly. “It’ll be fine trust me. We don’t need to run.”

“What? I don’t understand? The others...”

“Logan is loyal to me. He’ll help us deal with Shaw’s body. As for the others...after Shaw’s been missing for a few days we’ll plant a rumor that he’s been taken out by a hit. If any of them are suspicious, well I’ve got more than enough money to make their objections disappear.”

Erik grimaces. “You really think that’ll work.”

Charles snorts, “Sebastian didn’t have a successor and trust me when I say nobody’s going to miss him. With Logan’s help and my money...we can take over the Club.” 

“You think it’ll be that easy? These people are dangerous.”

“I know how dangerous they are,” Charles snaps, his eyes hard as crystal before he looks at Erik again and smiles. “It’s not the first time I’ve helped stage a takeover.”

Erik sighs and wraps his arms around his lover. “Alright. What do we do now?”

“Now you go grab a shower and take care of the cuts on your wrists.”

“What about the body?”

“Trust me, love. I’ll take care of everything.”

\---

Charles waits until he hears the shower running before he grabs his robe from the bed and slips it on. Walking over to his pile of clothes, he pulls the cell phone from his pants pocket and hits the speed dial.

“Logan. My room. Now.”

He hangs up and throws the phone next to the gun then crouches next to Shaw and gently closes the dead man’s eyes. “Darling. I’m sorry truly. But you really gave me no choice.”

He heads over to the bar and pours himself a drink, the bedroom door opening just a couple of minutes later. Logan stalks in with gun in hand and takes in the scene, Charles in his robe next to Shaw’s dead body, the blood on the bed, the shower running in the bathroom.

“You alright, Boss?”

“I’m fine Logan,” Charles waves his hand slightly towards Shaw. “I need you to handle this. Be discreet.”

“What happened?”

Charles frowns and takes a sip of his drink. “Sebastian’s ego got a bit unmanageable. It would’ve only been a matter of time before he moved against me and tried to take the Club.”

Logan growls, “Shoulda told me Chuck. I’d have been happy to gut him for you.”

“Thank you but as you can see, your expertise wasn’t required. You can let the others know what happened.”

“Sure, I’ll take care of it.” He waves the gun in the direction of the bathroom and gives Charles a pointed look. “Does Lensherr know? That Hellfire is yours? 

“No. And I don’t think anyone should be in a hurry to enlighten him.”

Logan chuckles, “So what are you going to do with him? You want me to take care of him for you?”

Charles tosses the rest of the drink back and smiles. “That won’t be necessary, my friend. In fact, I think Erik's earned himself a promotion.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This alternate ending essentially stops at the same place as Epilogue 1 in the main story. Epilogue 2 with Alex's meeting still follows (and I think if you read it in this new context it gives a slightly different flavor to Charles' and Erik's interactions).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Man in the Middle](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8106283) by [lachatblanche](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lachatblanche/pseuds/lachatblanche)




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